Tim GideonMonster Turbine Pro Professional In-Ear SpeakersThere's no doubt that the Monster Turbine Pro earphones sound fantastic, but at nearly twice the price of the original Turbine, they don't deliver twice as much.

There's no doubt that the Monster Turbine Pro earphones sound fantastic, but at nearly twice the price of the original Turbine, they don't deliver twice as much.

Monster continues to forge ahead into the earphone realm, following up last year's Beats by Dr. Dre Tour and Turbine with its latest pair, the Turbine Pro Professional In-Ear Speakers. For $299.95 (list), however, it's not immediately clear why the price is so much higher than the $179.95 original Turbine. There's a subtly improved bass response, a sturdier cable design, and a lifetime warranty, but I'm not sure this warrants a $300 price tag. Still, this is a quality pair of earphones that deliver an exciting audio experience, though they're not for audiophiles seeking flat response.

The lightweight metal earpieces look very similar to the original Turbine's, except they come in a flashy gold or copper instead of boring black, and the set weighs in at 0.8 ounces compared to the original's 0.6-ounces. Physically, the main upgrade from the Turbine is to the Pro's 47.3-inch cable, which is more flexible and durable at the connection point to the earpiecethe spot where most headphone cables normally snap. This is a significant improvement because most dead earphones simply suffer from a bad cableand if you were able to replace it, the earphones would work fine. Of course, we can't test the cable's purported durability over time, but that's where Monster's warranty comes in.

Monster is so confident in its durable design, the company offers a lifetime warranty on the Turbine Proeven if you break the pair and you own up to it. This might help explain the higher cost, but as a customer once asked me when I worked at a record store offering a so-called 'lifetime guarantee" "Whose lifetime? Mine or the company's?" Assuming that Monster sticks around, you'll be able to send your Turbine Pros in for a replacement pair whenor ifthey fail.

Included with the earphones: Two protective cases, a cable clip, three sizes of traditional Monster eartips, two pairs of triple-layered (flange) eartips, one pair of foam eartips, and two pairs of SuperTips, which Monster claims improve sound isolation and the overall audio experience. The tips you choose will vary depending on your ear canals and your preference, but I found the traditional tips to be comfortable, although less secure than I'd like. A few times, I had to press them tightly back into my ears in order to restore the intended bass response, though they were never in danger of falling out.

The results of our HEAD Acoustics frequency response tests show what is not immediately obvious upon first listen: There's a bit more bass response than you get with the original Turbine. The mid-high frequencies seem to be a bit toned down, too, which makes the earphones a tad less bright. Again, audiophiles won't appreciate it, but the highly sculpted sound signature of the Turbine Pro will appeal to fans of deepbut controlledbass.

Even at the highest listening levels, the Turbine Pro drivers did not distort, delivering the low-end thuds of The Knife's "Silent Shout" and Thom Yorke's extremely resonant "Cymbal Rush" with grace. I was not always thrilled with how vocals sounded on the Turbine Pro, however, occasionally, there was a nasal, pinched quality to them. Generally, though, the earphones offered an exciting response for popular music, and even worked some magic on orchestral scores with low frequency drones and percussion. Our linear frequency response test confirms what one would hope for in a $300 pair of earphones: The left and right earphones are very well matched in terms of response.

I commend Monster on making another quality pair of earphones, but it's unclear why, exactly, the Turbine Pro costs so much more than the original Turbine. Fans of deep bass response who don't want to spend $300 should consider the $150 Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Tour. And if you're on an even-tighter budget, but want solid enhanced low-end response, the $40 Radius Atomic Bass is a good choicebut don't expect durability or a lifetime warranty. Finally, if you managed to make it to the end of this review but are actually looking for a flat response pair of earphones, it's hard to go wrong with the fantastic $300 Etymotic ER-4S.

Monster Turbine Pro Professiona...

Monster Turbine Pro Professional In-Ear Speakers

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